The present technology relates to a display unit that includes a phase difference device for varying a polarization state of light.
As a stereoscopic image display unit of a type using polarizing glasses, a display unit has been available that emits light in different polarization states between left-eye pixels and right-eye pixels. In such a display unit, a viewer puts on the polarizing glasses, and light outgoing from the left-eye pixels is allowed to enter only a left eye, while light outgoing from the right-eye pixels is allowed to enter only a right eye. Thus, observation of stereoscopic images is achieved.
For example, in PTL 1 and PTL 2, for the purpose of emitting light in different polarization states for between the left-eye pixels and the right-eye pixels, it has been proposed to provide a phase difference device where a liquid crystal cell is partially formed, or a phase difference device where a plurality of kinds of phase difference materials with different slow axes from one another are arranged. Further, for example, in PTL 3, it has been proposed to provide a phase difference device that is formed by applying and polymerizing liquid crystal on a patterned photo-alignment film.